Holden gives bosses an eye in the skyJuly 28, 2006 BIG Brother...

Holden gives bosses an eye in the sky
July 28, 2006

BIG Brother is watching the VE Commodore.

GM Holden will introduce a vehicle tracking system that allows fleet owners to spy on their employees 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The GM Fleetview system uses global positioning to track every kilometre travelled by company-owned vehicles.

Bosses will be able to log into a website and check the exact position of its vehicles.

The system, which uses the Telstra GSM phone network, is so advanced bosses can even check how fast employees are travelling and how much fuel they are using.

Fleet owners can be alerted if any of their vehicles exceed a pre-set speed limit and are provided with the vehicle details, as well as where and when it was speeding.

The system will be upgraded to allow bosses to send text messages to employees through the car's centre display screen.

Similar systems are currently available for truck fleet managers but Holden believes it is the first car maker to offer the technology.

GM Holden fleet services manager Simon Carr said GM Fleetview was exactly what fleet managers wanted.

"This has been happening in the truck industry for decades," Mr Carr says.

"It is what the fleet customer base is looking for and we saw an opportunity to provide it."

Some fleets have been testing the GM Fleetview system since January.

Holden will introduce the system before the end of the year but will not reveal pricing before the launch.

The company said fleets were especially interested in this system because it simplified tax paperwork by accurately logging kilometres covered by employees.

The GM Fleetview system can also be used to track stolen vehicles.

Holden already offers a system that uses the same technology to alert a call centre in the event of an emergency. This will also be available on the VE Commodore range.